Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Birds Eye View

Welcome to our home.

This photo was taken on the hills across the valley. We don't often get this view because our driveway is from the other side. I often forget that it looks different from other people's houses. To us its just home.

When we bought this property 14 years ago there was one pod here, the one on the left of this picture. We have a friend that use to live in Kaikoura and he knew a person that was selling their white Futuro house, so we bought it. There were only about 15 ever made in New Zealand. A couple have gone to Australia. It took a weekend to unbolt the 8 roof sections and 8 floor sections. However it took several months to put it all back together. We have had so many, many adventures with councils, neighbours along the way. Its always interesting giving our address to people. My husband describes it to people as a 'spaceship house'. I prefer to call it the round white house. No we're not into science fiction and no we're not star trek fans. We just fell in love with all things round and oval.

5 comments:

Hi! Oh wow! We were just wondering what had happened to this house...my great aunt lived in the original spaceship house on your property & I hadn't been to visit it since the early 90s/late 80s. Then a photo of the original house came up on Lost Christchurch which got a bit a of a discussion happening as to what had happened to it (you can see it on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LostChristchurch ). I'm *so* glad to see it's being used & that you enjoy living in it so much. It was certainly a fun building! Did it survive well in the earthquakes?

HI AmySo your Great Aunt was Marjorie Staples? Was it your photo on the cover of her book "He Was Here Too"?Living here has certainly been an adventure! You can see more about this in the sidebar under labels - Futuro. Our whole house has withstood the earthquakes very well. I think we just flexed! Thanks for stopping by.KInd RegardsJAcqui

Yes, she was Marjory Staples. And no, it isn't my photo on the book (it was taken a wee bit before my time...that girl on the front cover is one of her granddaughters, I think) but Aunty Marjory was a keen photographer so I wouldn't be surprised if she took the photo herself. Uncle Richard is still alive but very elderly now & lives in Ireland.

Just looking at your photo, it appears as if the original buildings that were on that property are still there too (the older brick two story house to the left of the driveway as you come down was her first house on that property & her son lived in the one next door).

She was a very keen gardener (as you probably already know), so I know she'd have been thrilled that you have such a big interest in sustainable gardening & love living in the spaceship house. My grandmother (her sister) lived round the corner & they had a massive garden & vege patch too...& I'm big on the whole self sufficiency thing. Gardening runs in the family!! So it seems very fitting someone who also enjoys it is able to enjoy the property now.

It's good to hear it withstood the quakes so well. It seems ironic there were so many problems getting permission for it to be built originally when it has proven to withstand more than many buildings lately.

As an aside, my husband's father used to make some of the parts for the Futuro houses that came out of the factory behind the old Double R factory site. Apparently he used to play in them when he went with his father to the factory sometimes. I only found this out when the photos went up on Lost Chch!

Hi AmyI did chuckle when you wrote of Marjorie and Richard's challenges in getting the first pod here. My gosh we've had lots and lots of our own too. At times we wondered if it wouldn't have been alot easier to remove the pod and build a square house instead. But we always believed that it was important on lots of levels to stay true to what Richard and Marjorie had created. Yes Marjorie and Richard's original house and Edwins are still there. Some minor cracking from the earthquakes but otherwise ok. I met Richard shortly after we purchased the property. I admired his fitness as he strode up the hill past me at the age of 82! He must be about 97 by now? If you have the opportunity, please tell him we said hello. Something that has always puzzled me was where the garden/property Marjorie and Edwin developed and wrote about in her book 'My Wilderness Blossomed' was. I loved seeing the photos of inside the pod on facebook. We still have those purple seats and the curtains with the boat scenes on it and we probably always will. I think it was wonderfully in keeping that Marjorie used this fabric. They remind me of the writings of her travels and what an amazing women she was. She was a pioneer in many ways. So lovely to talk with you Amy.Kind RegardsJAcqui

Mel Opie here! So funny, Matt and Rosa stumbled across your blog yesterday while looking for a recipe for pinwheel scones!

I was having a snoop around your blog and found this thread about Majorie Staples.

I was recommended 'My Wilderness Blossomed' by an elderly neighbour. She knew Marjorie well. She told me that Marjorie's first property on the hill, the subject of the Wilderness Blossomed book, was number 69 Huntsbury Ave - just across the road from us. She also explained that the character "Martha Dilbury" in the book is actually Mrs Arnold, the original owner of our house. I had heard stories of Mrs Arnold's spy glass, and her love of gardening, and these are mentioned in the book. Number 69 has been extensively renovated since the earthquakes. I love learning about the history of our area.

Love to all. x Mel

p.s. We recently kept our own Blog when we drove Bluff to Cape Reinga in our Mk1 Zodiac. It was such a great adventure! opiesontour.wordpress.com.

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About Me

Hi Welcome to our family blogs. We are a family of 5 plus a gorgeous dog (Louie). We love to craft, garden organically, write, keep bees and live as a freeranging homeschool family. We live in Christchurch New Zealand.
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